To ask how you feel about “doggy bags”

[MyKingdomForACaramel]

Went for a meal with Dh this evening. We had some super fancy mixed grill type thing (hours later am still stuffed), think around 7 cuts of meat plus a couple of sides.

We ate about half before we realised that our eyes were most definitely larger than our bellies and both agreed that with so much left we should ask if we could take the remai set home.

Thus ensued a ridiculous conversation over who should ask for the “doggy bag” - we both felt it was entirely reasonable to ask, but both felt a little embarrassed to ask.

So I guess my question is - is it unreasonable to ask to take left overs?

Yes, it is and if embarrassed you just say it really is for the dog (even if it is not).

@aeroflot - that has just reminded me of a colleague who used to over order on work lunches and then bring in Tupperware to take the leftovers home! She was unbelievably blatant as well (though that’s a totally separate aibu I think)

It is quite trendy these days at least I think it is

I used to have such anxiety and guilt over leaving food & not being able to ask to take it home for fear of looking “common”

Please don't worry! It's perfectly acceptable. I don't encounter the need much as I'm pretty good at ordering what I think I'll eat, and don't tend to over-order. But it does happen occasionally, probably more often with pudding, and I have no worries about asking the waiter to pop it into a box for me.

Most decent restaurants/chefs really would rather you enjoy what they have produced rather than throw it into a bin.

We took DD2 for an afternoon tea at a naice hotel for her birthday (7th yesterday) and couldn't manage the 3 tiers of yumminess. They asked if we'd liked it boxed up, and had yummy cakes for breakfast this morning.

If its OK at naice places I'm OK with it everywhere.

No idea why people hesitate over this. Is it some petit bourgeois fear of seeming poor?

It's clearly the right thing to do. It's your food, you've paid for it. It shows appreciation for the food to the staff. It eliminates waste (which is the most important thing). The 'naicer' the place, the more important not to waste it.

Call it what you like though I don't see anything wrong with doggy bag myself.

Oh elfy wish I had leftover cake for breakfast tomorrow than 3 rounds of chorizo, a steak and a chicken brewer!

Just spotted there are some Americans on the thread! Apols for talking about you like an anthropology experiment. But what do you do with your leftovers?

I often put it in a lunch box for someone next day. If no one ends up eating it then the dog is in luck.

Re chips - well, of course you don’t eat them cold. Heat up a frying pan for a minute or so, add the chips (without adding oil), keep them constantly turning for a couple of minutes.

I went out for a works Xmas meal once where most people left stuff on their plates and there were part-drunk bottles of wine all over . I was trying not to make them think I was any more of a ‘weirdo’ than they already did, so I talked ostentatiously about how I was going to use the bottle I did take in shepherd’s pie - it never got near a recipe, of course. We worked in environment policy.

Ive never had to ask as I’m a pig and stuff as much into my face as I can when I’m out but isn't it more embarrassing to say it’s for a dog? Surely the restaurant would be more offended that you thought their mixed grill more suited to the family pet?

Countess, I agree. I'd never say it was for the dog! Mostly because we don't have one, but because I would rather the chef know that I want to eat it myself, and also because it's really a perfectly acceptable thing to do. No need to say it's for the dog!

I don't. I hate it personally.

grand Our local "all you can eat" does a $10 and $20 box, but they load it for you from your plate so you do not take all the prawns and then ask for a box for being too greedy.

It's your food, better than it going to waste!
I went out for a vey posh lunch years ago with mil and dh's gran, not a place I would normally go, ridiculously expensive but it was a special treat for the 3 of us.
I was a bit embarrassed when dh's frugalistic gran asked for a doggy bag, but honestly you should have seen what they brought out! The fanciest packaging, in a super posh shopper bag and they even added in lots of extras for us too! They said people rarely asked for a doggy bag but they liked when people do as they know we enjoyed the food but couldn't finish it all, and it would have to be thrown out otherwise.
I've got the cutest pic of gran holding the poshest doggy bag ever with such a big grin on her face

Are you quite old, or old fashioned OP? Very normal to ask for leftovers ‘to go’ these days. Very old fashioned to even call it a doggy bag

A 3* (large waterfowl?) on the Thames has a small jetty. We booked in and arrived on a friends cabin cruiser, just made it alongside but boat well in the mud. Togged up and had a stunning lunch (bill for 6 was in 4 figures). The owner and wife asked to bag up the left over meat for the dogs, which they had left on their boat. The chef came out with a large aluminium foil roll. "For the dogs" It was the whole fillet he had taken out of fridge last night to warm to room temp for the lunch menu that had not been ordered and he explained that it would be ruined if chilled again. Next day the dogs were very happy to have steak (tesco best sirloin) we had got for the BBQ. And the fillet was magnificent.

Very common here (Canada) too. I love leftovers the next day if the food was nice! We heat up chips in the oven with a glass of water alongside - works beautifully.

All the time! It’s fine. Better than it being binned. Better than trying to eat too much. Perfectly civilized.

@MyKingdomForACaramel

Yep we always take stuff home. Didn't eat HALF the load we ordered at the Indian restaurant we went to last week, so they boxed/bagged it up for us, and we took it home. (Had it the following day - nice!)

I don't feel the least bit bothered or embarrassed. We paid for the food, it was ours, we were within our rights to ask to take it.
Not sure what there is to be embarrassed about tbh.

I think restaurants really need to be looking at their offering and portion sizes if this is becoming an epidemic.
Yes, you want a nice meal for the right price, but as a restaurateur, I wouldn't want to be supplying my customers with an evening meal and the next day's food as well!

This lunchtime I had reheated pasta from a previous lunch out, servings are huge in US and I was offered a box without asking. The cost of supermarket food means that eating left overs makes cost sense and I had two large portions of food whether I ate them or not.

Definitely not weird at all! I'd think its weirder to say it's for the dog than for you!

was once in New York and we got chatting to a very posh couple on the next table. We couldn’t eat much of our meal (hungover) but were too embarrassed and British to ask. When the waiter came the lady on the next table shouted ‘can they get that to go?’ There wasn’t a modicum of awkwardness about it. I’ve never hesitated since.

I'm from the South. Sounds like our kind of thing.

Insomnibrat A lot of restaurant food (most things except meat and fish portions) doesn't cost very much. So it's more profitable to serve a large meal for £12 than half the amount of food for £10, for example.

Also, outside fine dining, a lot of people expect very large portions and won't return if they don't walk out stuffed.

There's comments on the McDonald's fish filet thread about how tiny they are and two are needed. Pizza express are criticised for their pizzas being smaller than the large ones served by Domino's and pizza Hut. Look at all the piss taking on here, being described as a competitive under eater, about people not being able to eat a full restaurant meal, even though it may contain enough calories for a whole day for an adult woman.

I'd never be embarrassed and happily ask.

Out of interest, I've never heard of super fancy places serving 7 cuts of meat. Is that what you meant?